Shay Given assesses his time at Aston Villa

Speaking to the Stoke Sentinel, Shay Given has admitted that his time at Aston Villa was frustrating due to the amount of football he played, always wishing he could feature for more minutes of Premier League action.

Given said: “My time at Villa, I wish I'd played more games but didn't, for whatever reason, and that was frustrating.”

Given left Villa over the summer, joining Stoke on a free transfer after four years at Villa park.

He played 53 times for the club, and as a goalkeeper, struggled to ever tie down a first-team role with the Birmingham-based club.

Last season was one where Given found himself especially out of the side, playing just three Premier League games, all coming at the end of the campaign under Tim Sherwood when Villa’s league safety was secured.

However, he was always competing with Brad Guzan for the starting role at Villa Park, and the USA international himself is a top class Premier League stopper, and has shown on many occasions that he could compete with Given for the number one jersey.

Since joining Stoke, Given has been second choice to Jack Butland, continuing the role that he played at Villa Park, and it is a sad way to see a true Premier League great end his career with nothing more than a whimper.

Billy Hawkins

Billy is a freelance writer who contributes to various sites concerning football. Known to possess an obsession with statistics, Eastern European club sides, and Victorian football, he focuses upon the untapped potential of the Football League in the belief it is more enjoyable than the Premier League.